TWAS-CSIR Postgraduate Fellowship Programme

TWAS and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India are offering the TWAS-CSIR Postgraduate Fellowship Programme for foreign scholars from developing countries who want to pursue PhD research in India in science and technology fields.

The fellowship is hosted in CSIR laboratories and institutes across India and supports research in areas such as chemical sciences, biological systems and organisms, medical and health sciences, engineering sciences, astronomy/earth sciences, mathematical sciences, and physics. The programme is especially relevant for students interested in research-intensive doctoral training and access to advanced laboratories.

Funding: This is a fully funded fellowship. CSIR provides a monthly stipend for living costs, food, and health insurance, and fellows also receive subsidized accommodation. The fellowship duration is up to 4 years for full-time fellows and between 6 months and 3 years for sandwich fellows.

Eligibility highlights: Applicants must be nationals of a developing country other than India, be 35 years old or younger on 31 December of the application year, hold a Master's degree in science and technology, and be regularly employed in their home country with a research assignment there. Sandwich applicants must already be registered for a PhD in their home country and provide a Registration and No Objection Certificate. Full-time applicants must secure an acceptance letter from a CSIR host institution and be willing to register at a university in India within the first year if required.

Application window: The call opened on 6 March 2026 and the deadline was extended to 20 May 2026. Applications are submitted online through the TWAS portal only. Applicants are encouraged to contact a CSIR host institution early to obtain the preliminary acceptance letter, which is required for consideration.

Contact: TWAS Fellowships Office ([email protected]) and Dr Mamta Sharma, Principal Scientist, CSIR ([email protected]).